


You Deserve This

by Tiny_Tyrant



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Krolia the wingman, M/M, Post Black Paladins ep, Post-Season/Series 06, This has more than likely been done before but I’m doing this anyway because I damn well want to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 19:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16793698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiny_Tyrant/pseuds/Tiny_Tyrant
Summary: Post Black Paladins and deep in the void of space, things are quiet. It leaves plenty of time for contemplation but sometimes contemplation has its limits for usefulness.Shiro is spending some time on the Black Lion during their voyage without the Castle of Lions. Cosmo proves to be good company to a certain extent but loneliness isn’t really the issue he needs to face.Basically a getting together fic which I sincerely hope you enjoy.





	You Deserve This

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven’t really had much opportunity to delve into the pre-existing fics along this premise so I’m hoping I’ve brought something original to the fore.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this.

Adamant not to have Shiro push himself so soon after recovering, Krolia had taken post in the cockpit while Keith rested in his bunk. This left Shiro wondering what to do with himself. It was boring.

Whilst they had taken a lot of stuff in the evacuation of the Castle of Lions, not many had spared a thought for entertainment during the long voyage. Katie had a pretty sweet setup with her video games in her lion however Shiro didn’t fancy intruding just because he was bored.

He felt the air shift and Cosmo popped into existence in front of him. It was a strange sensation just before the wolf materialised, one that you could barely feel unless you were expecting it. He guessed this was why Keith was no longer surprised by his wolf suddenly materialising.

“Hey Cosmo.” He smiled at the wolf. The wolf silently trotted over to him and sat with his head in Shiro’s lap. Shiro’s smile only widened. He may be more of a cat person but that didn’t mean he hadn’t also fallen under Cosmo’s charm. Cosmo made a huffing sound as Shiro’s hand found his ears. “If you’re wanting someone to play with, you’re looking at the wrong guy.”

Cosmo looked up at him curiously at hearing his voice. He sat there calmly so Shiro supposed he wasn’t feeling too energetic.

“Come on.” Shiro patted the spot beside him on his bunk. Cosmo hopped up and then the large wolf flopped onto his lap. “Are you bored too or are you just wanting attention?” In answer, Cosmo just looked up at him expectantly.

“Attention then,” Shiro said with a chuckle. He set to rubbing Cosmo’s side. As he got more into it, Cosmo became more and more boneless where he lay. After a while, Shiro’s mind wandered from his task of indulging the wolf. His hand kept moving but he was just staring at the wall.

In truth, he had found it difficult to adjust to his body, injuries notwithstanding. This body held its own memories that it created while he was essentially frozen in Black’s consciousness. He had had flashes of awareness while he was in Black but those were few in number and the memories were only half-formed. He spent a lot of time while he was awake now trying to figure out what happened during these flashes. Trying to focus on them, however, felt like trying to catch ink in water. The only real flashes of awareness he remembered was when he tried reaching out to Lance and also the more recent conversations he had with Keith after this body had taken a beating. They also fit better in his head as this body had been unconscious at the time. There was no overlap with those memories. It was far easier to fit them in.

Cosmo yawned. The sound of it startled Shiro out of his thoughts. Cosmo shuffled a bit, moving to curl against Shiro’s side instead of being sprawled across him.

“Sorry boy, was it too much stimulation for you?” Shiro asked gently, ruffling the fur atop Cosmo’s head.

He looked around the room and was relieved to see that Keith was still asleep in his bunk. While Shiro had been strongly advised to get more sleep by Krolia, it had been all he had been doing for the past few days. His sleep schedule was pretty messed up. The sleep he did get was either so deep that he woke up feeling worse than before or it was fitful and disturbed whoever else was trying to sleep at the time. At the present moment though, Shiro felt only a little tired. His body felt heavy but mentally he couldn’t switch off.

Shiro sighed and shifted to lay back on his bunk. Cosmo teleported out of the way before reappearing on Shiro’s chest.

“Alright, that’s cute and all but you’re a little heavy.” He chuckled as he ruffled the fur at Cosmo’s jaw. “Have you been told to make sure that I stay in bed? I wouldn’t put it past Krolia.” He smiled ruefully.

“Those were my instructions actually,” Keith grumbled as he rolled over to face Shiro.

“Ah, sorry, did I wake you?”

“Hm, not exactly. I was barely asleep anyway.” Keith rubbed at his eyes and looked at Shiro blearily. He definitely didn’t look well rested and Shiro frowned at that.

“You need more rest than I do,” Shiro admonished, moving to sit up. Cosmo shifted to the foot of Shiro’s bunk, out of the way before curling up again.

“It’s not for lack of trying, believe me. And even when I do manage to get some sleep I–” he cut off suddenly with a dark look that Shiro is all too familiar with.

“Oh Keith,” Shiro soothed. He moved over to sit at the edge of Keith’s bunk and laid his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “I’ve been getting them too… reliving that fight in particular. I guess my subconscious mind is a sadistic prick.”

Keith’s dark look faded quickly on hearing that. His brows pinched with concern instead and Shiro jolted a little as Keith’s hand found his.

“Hey, look at me,” he instructed gently. Shiro did so and Keith squeezed his hand. “That wasn’t you. That wasn’t even him either, the clone. What happened was a shit show, which only Haggar is to blame for,” Keith urged.

“Logically I know that but–” Shiro’s voice tightened and cracked.

“You can’t help the way you feel?”

Shiro shook his head.

“Come here,” Keith said as he sat up, grabbing Shiro by the shirt to pull him in close. He wrapped Shiro up in his arms and let out a soft sigh. “I came to close to killing you in that fight. I keep… torturing myself with thoughts of if you never woke up,” Keith confessed. “I know that’s not very helpful but we’re both here now. You’re getting stronger by the day and Haggar’s plan failed. She underestimated all of us.”

Shiro wanted to move away, not feeling deserving of Keith’s comfort. He so rarely offered comfort like this. Though Shiro had never really had need of it before, he realised slowly. Keith used to be the one trying to find his feet. Now he stood firm. Whatever happened in the rift in those two years had helped him find his center. Not even the clone’s carefully chosen words had had any effect. He used to be the one sitting where Keith was. He used to be the steadfast one. Now he looked down at Keith and saw someone who has grown into himself.

Keith’s brow was pinched with concern and he was about to let Shiro go until their eyes met. He frowned even deeper before reaching behind Shiro’s head and pulling him down into his shoulder. This time Shiro didn’t resist.

He needed this.

“Keith,” said Shiro, voice cracking. He returned the fierce hug, clutching at the back of Keith’s shirt.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” Keith murmured. “I never really got chance to tell you this before but I think this is probably the best time to say it: I’m sorry that I cut off your arm. I could have done any–”

“No don’t,” Shiro interrupted. “I could have killed you.”

“But–”

“The clone’s memories are mine now. Sure, it wouldn’t have been me that might have killed you but the clone– I had no control. You did what you had to.”

“I’m just another Galra that took something from you. I took your arm Shiro and I don’t– I can’t forgive myself for that.”

Shiro let out a watery laugh and lifted his head to press his forehead to Keith’s. “You’re the man that realised the arm was what was controlling me. You are the Galra that acted out of love to stop me from doing something that I wouldn’t have been able to bear to consequences of. Her control wouldn’t have lasted forever. The clone would have woken up to find you– I couldn’t live with that.”

“I thought I was meant to be comforting you.” Keith let out a half-hearted chuckle.

“Tough. You might not forgive yourself but I do,” Shiro said firmly.

“I hope you realise that’s a big fat ‘ditto’ here too. ’Cos I refuse to accept that you are to blame, for any of it. I hope eventually you feel the same as I do about that.”

Lost for words for a moment, Shiro gaped at Keith in awe. He let out an embarrassed chuckle and then he raised his arm to hold the back of Keith’s head.

“What did I do to deserve someone as good as you in my life?” He asked with a wry smile.

“Honestly? I ask myself that about you constantly,” Keith answered with a laugh. “You saw something in me when nobody else could. You believed in me and I don’t even know how to begin repaying you for that.”

“Keith,” Shiro interrupted. “You don’t need to repay me for that. It’s not– I don’t need that from you.”

Keith smiled and tipped his head forward. His lips pressed to Shiro’s gently. “Is that alright?” He asked quietly, nervousness in the slight tremor of his voice.

“I– uh– what–?” Shiro stammered. It was as if all of his thoughts had come to a screeching halt. His face steadily grew pinker as he started to realise what had happened. Keith watched it all unfold on his face.

“Shiro?”

Shiro jolted at Keith’s voice just enough for Keith to feel the movement. Acting quickly, Keith let go to allow him some space.

“Sorry I should have asked or something,” Keith apologised quickly.

Shiro caught Keith by the front of his shirt. It was as if his hand had moved independently of him judging by the slightly confused look Shiro gave his own hand. As awareness returned, Shiro looked at Keith with a confused frown. “Keith you… you just kissed me?”

“Uh yeah, I did,” Keith spoke carefully, as if worried that he might startle Shiro again. “I’m not apologising for kissing you; just that I didn’t ask if it was okay to kiss you.” His face reddened at the admission.

“You’re tired. You d–”

“No! Don’t start! I know what I’m doing, Shiro. I know what I’m feeling.”

Shiro, suitably chastised, frowned and looked down. “Sorry Keith, I didn’t mean to try and dismiss what you’re feeling. I’m having a hard time believing it.”

“Shiro, look at me,” Keith instructed softly. Shiro met his eyes with reluctance. When their eyes did meet, Keith could see the vulnerability as plain as day. “Shiro, I understand if you don’t feel the same way. I’m still your friend and that won’t ever cha–”

He was interrupted mid-sentence by a sharp pull forwards and Shiro’s lips colliding clumsily with his. He’d never known Shiro to be impulsive so, while Keith was shocked at first, that soon gave room for the realisation that Shiro had thought about doing this before. The initial clumsiness gave way to a kind of desperation. Shiro shifted to kneel over Keith’s lap. His hand was curled tight into Keith’s shirt. It was an anchor, just as much as Keith’s hands became as they reached up to Shiro’s jaw. They traded a few more impassioned kisses before Keith pulled back.

“Uh… ’S good to know we’re on the same page,” Keith mumbled. Pink spread out high on Keith’s cheeks. Shiro smiled tenderly at the flustered look.

“Well I hope so. You okay with this?” He let go of Keith’s shirt and gently smoothed it out a little.

“I– Yeah I am,” Keith stammered. “I think I’m the one having difficulty believing this now.” He let out a depreciative laugh. Shiro smiled again, all soft fondness and amusement.

“Do you need me to pinch you? I can do that if you want.”

Keith laughed again and gently thumped Shiro’s chest. “That won’t be necessary.” A yawn took him by surprise and Shiro remembered that Keith had been trying to sleep. Suddenly sheepish, Shiro started to back away.

“Sorry I should let you get some sleep,” he apologised.

“What about you?” Keith frowned, catching Shiro’s hand in a barely there grip.

“I uh– I don’t think I can right now.”

“Hm, okay just… when you can I don’t mind if you wanna bunk with me.”

Shiro considered it and honestly it was tempting. “There’s not much room. I’ll only end up crushing you.”

“You’re not that heavy.” Keith raised an eyebrow, amusement playing on his lips.

“Try saying that after I’ve crushed you to death,” Shiro snarked back. “How about this as a compromise?”

With a gentle push against Keith’s chest, Shiro made him lay back against the bunk and leaned over him. Tenderly, he kissed Keith again, trying his best to keep it short and chaste. However he didn’t count on Keith holding him in place and responding with an indulgent noise and teasing bites to his lips. Shiro couldn’t help a moan of his own as he was easily swept up into Keith’s pace. At the back of his mind he knew he should have more restraint than this but it was hard to argue that fact when faced with Keith’s obvious hunger. His own hunger betrayed him too as he selfishly responded. A growl from Keith buzzed straight down his spine, lighting a fire in his gut that threatened to awaken other parts of him. With a gasp he pulled away.

“Ah-ah, no more of that or… well.” He cleared his throat, trying his best not to let how flustered he was leak into his voice. Keith’s raised eyebrow and knowing look told him he’d not succeeded in the slightest. “You’re meant to be resting,” he chastised.

“So are you, hypocrite,” Keith returned with a very smug smirk.

“You’re the Black Paladin; you should be ready for anything,” Shiro fired back with a shark-like grin of his own. “Don’t make me tell your mom~.”

Keith snorted. “That’s not fair. You can’t play both of those cards.”

“I think I just did.” Shiro leaned down to kiss Keith’s brow. “I won’t stay up too long then.”

“Or you can stay here and kiss me until we’re both tired.”

“I’m tempted, believe me, but I don’t think that will work for me right now.”

“Oh, why not?”

Shiro pulled back with a wan smile, lifting his hand to stroke Keith’s cheek. Keith leaned into the touch, closing his eyes fleetingly.

“Because I don’t trust myself to keep it at just kissing.”

“I don’t have a problem with that.”

“I do,” Shiro admitted. “It’s not that I don’t want you.”

“But you need time?” Keith guessed.

Shiro nodded.

“I get it.”

An appreciative look softened Shiro’s face.

“Alright, do what you gotta do. If you change your mind or just wanna cuddle or whatever I don’t mind if you wake me up.”

“Thanks Keith. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight 

Shiro blushed at the name and pressed another kiss to Keith’s brow before leaving.

Cosmo warped from Shiro’s abandoned bunk to Shiro’s side as he left the sleeping quarters. Outside the door, Shiro looked at the wolf and petted his head.

“Have you got any idea what I should do?” He asked Cosmo, not expecting an answer. As expected, the wolf just tilted his head. “Alright then, I guess I’ll try to teach you how to fetch or something.”

* * *

Some time later, Shiro trudged back to the sleeping quarters, passing Krolia on the way.

“I thought you were resting.” She looked at him, puzzled.

“I tried but I couldn’t settle.” Shiro shrugged. “Were you exercising?”

She nods. “It’s easy to get complacent and soft. When you’re feeling up to it, I can help you with easing back into it. You take your fitness seriously, I assume.”

Shiro blinked owlishly. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to do that. Thanks.”

“Luckily for you, there is little sign of atrophy that I’ve noticed. You’ll be back to your normal fitness level in no time. How are your injuries?”

“Almost healed I think.”

“Good news then,” she said with a smile. “I’ll let you go now. Please try to rest; Keith worries about you. I can see it written all over his face.”

Shiro froze up at that. “Uh, yeah I’m aware he does. We talked over what happened during the fight and… we’re in a better place I think. But that’s also why I couldn’t settle.”

Krolia gave him a fond look and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can understand the restlessness then. I’m happy you’re healing there too. You deserve to find some peace after all that’s happened to you.” Shiro appreciated the genuinely warm tone of her voice. 

“Thanks Krolia,” Shiro replied with affection in his voice.

“Hey, any time. I hope you’re planning on getting rest now.”

Shiro laughed, surprised. “I think I see where Keith gets it from now.”

“Gets what exactly?” Krolia asked, a grin starting to form on her face and it reminded him of whenever Keith would fight not to smile at something.

“I won’t answer that, if only to prevent further incriminating myself.”

Krolia laughed and patted Shiro’s shoulder. “That’s probably wise. Oh and Shiro?”

“Yeah?”

“Let my son look after you, at least sometimes. You’ve done so much to help him become the man he is; perhaps the universe is telling you to enjoy the results.” Krolia smirked at him knowingly.

Flabbergasted into silence, Shiro gawked at her before his face grew a fierce red. She cackled with laughter.

“So I was right in thinking that the fight wasn’t all you discussed. Relax, I said it before but you do deserve happiness, Shiro. I think you and Keith are a good fit for each other.”

Still red in the face, Shiro could appreciate the good intentions behind the words. He wanted to say something but the words got jumbled in his head and caught in his throat. Krolia just flashed him another smile and left with another pat of Shiro’s shoulder.

It took another moment for him to regain his senses and he headed to the sleeping quarters.

The slide of the door woke Keith. His sleep-mussed hair was pretty much all Shiro could see as the younger man lifted his head to see who had entered. Shiro heard a sleepy grunt just as Keith set his head back down on the pillow. A second or so later, Keith gestured for him to come closer. Wordlessly, Shiro slid into the bunk behind Keith and curled his arm around Keith’s waist.

“You okay?” Keith asked, aware that Shiro’s silence didn’t feel right.

“I uh… yeah, I’m fine.”

“Not very convincing but I’ll let it go if you need me to.”

“Your mom scares me.”

“She does?” Keith let out a startled laugh. He turned his head to look at Shiro thoughtfully. “Wait… did she try to suggest–?”

“She did.”

Keith giggled at that, not just laughter but actual fits of giggles to Shiro’s horror. “Sorry I–” he took a deep breath and continued, “I never mentioned that the subject of you, and my feelings towards you, might have come up a few times in the two years I was in the rift. I’m sorry; I never imagined she would try suggesting you….”

“Well it happened and she thinks we’re a good fit for each other.” Shiro wanted to hide or get buried alive. Instead all he could manage was to hide his face in Keith’s shoulder blade.

Keith snorted. “That’s kinda sweet really. You can relax; she likes you.”

“I guess but when were you gonna tell me to watch out for your mother trying to set us up?”

“She would have been more subtle if we hadn’t reached this point,” Keith attempted to console him.

“That’s not reassuring.”

“What did she say, exactly?”

Shiro groaned as he thought back to the encounter. “Something about letting you look after me sometimes and she suggested that the universe is telling me to enjoy the man you’ve become.”

Keith hummed as he thought about what Shiro told him. “And I’m guessing you just gawked at her?”

“What was I supposed to do? I panicked, okay!”

Laughing again, Keith twisted to plant a clumsy kiss to Shiro’s forehead. “You need to work on your poker face.”

“Can you stop laughing at me now?” Shiro grumbled.

Keith resettled more comfortably in Shiro’s hold. “No promises but I’ll try. G’night Shiro.”

“’Night Keith.”


End file.
